Hello World
by fitzherbertfangirl
Summary: Ikarishipping Songfic based on the Lady Antebellum song Hello World. Christmas Eve, and Dawn and Paul are feeling awfully lonely...my first fic!


**Ikarishipping Songfic/One-shot. Romance. Takes place on Christmas Eve after Ash has left Sinnoh. Ages: Dawn: 12 Paul: 13. Based on the Lady Antebellum song, Hello World. If you haven't heard it, I suggest listening to it as you read or before. It'll make it make more sense **** THIS IS MY FIRST FIC. Rate/review but please keep in mind, I'm not awesome like the biggest Ikarishipping Fan! **

Hello World

_By ObsessiveShipper98_

"Christmas Eve isn't supposed to be like _this_." Dawn Berlitz said and sadly looked at the softly falling snow outside her window. "Christmas Eve is for being with family and friends and peace on earth and goodwill to all mankind! Not being in your huge drafty old house, all alone, while your mom is on a date and your friend went home to Kanto to see some girl!" True, Dawn said she didn't mind her mom going out with Barry's dad, she looked so happy with him she couldn't turn her down. True, she said she didn't mind Ash going to see the girl on the lure for Christmas, he looked so forlorn Dawn told him to go. But now…well…she just wished she didn't feel quite so alone. She exhaled a long sigh, and looked around the living room for something to do with herself. Wrap presents? No, already done. Make gingerbread? NO, she made that after lunch. Peek at Christmas presents? NO, NO, NO! "I will NOT sink that low!" she yelled at herself. But a framed picture on the north wall of the room stopped her anger right in its tracks. It was a little blue-haired girl, in the arms of strong, smiling man. The girl had chocolate on her face and hands, but she looked like she was in seventh heaven. Dawn felt tears form in her eyes. The little girl was a young her, and the man was her father.

_Traffic calls_

_Cell phone calls _

_Top video screams at me_

_Through my tinted window_

_I see_

_Little girl_

_Rust red minivan, she's got_

_Chocolate on her face_

_And her little hands _

_And she waves at me, yeah she smiles at me_

_Hello World_

Dawn felt herself die inside a little every time she saw that picture, and this time was no different. But along with that indescribable loneliness she felt, she also felt something awaken in her. She spun around slowly, and spotted the most treasured gift from her father. It was the object that, though she didn't know it at the time, would decide her whole future. The shiny black grand piano, a gift from her dad right before he passed. When she was small, Dawn didn't like playing the piano much, but her dad had taught her when she was very little. After he died, though, she grew to love it, as it was her way of staying close to him. In a moment of complete loneliness, she went up to the piano and sat down on the bench. She ran her hands over the glossy black wood, the snow white keys, breathing in its very aura. Dawn closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She lowered her fingers slowly, uncertainly to the keys and struck the first few hesitant notes. Her uncertainty faded away almost instantly, and she began to play beautifully.

A few shorts blocks away, Paul Shinji was having as terrible a Christmas Eve as Dawn. He'd never liked Christmas much, not because it was the coming of the Savior or anything like that, just everyone expected him to be cheerful, which is something Paul didn't really excel at. He wandered through the streets of dark, desolate Twinleaf Town; it was ten thirty at night, even the late-night shoppers were finished! Wondering, should he make good use of oh, this holy night of holy nights! Or just let his personal enthusiasm dilemma get in his way? He decided to shoot for the first, but just needed to figure out how… "Uhhhh…," he thought to himself, "Why can't I just be jolly like everyone else? Grrr…maybe I should go home…no, can't do that, 'cause Regg will make me put on a stupid Santa hat and sing carols to the neighbors! Dangggg is it impossible to find something usef-" Paul was cut off by the sight before him. He had found himself in front of a little white church. Even though it was no bigger than a chapel, it towered before him, haunting, but at the same time he was full of awe and admiration for it. It stood out like an angel among devils, light against dark, love against hate, like a moon in a starless sky. It bathed in a complete light of its own, unscathed by the spotlights, which had strangely sputtered out the moment he had walked up. Were they an unworthy mar to the church's beauty? Paul shivered. But something drew him closer, closer to the concrete front steps…should he? He needed something steady in his life, something he could be certain of. With shaky hands he stepped inside the church.

_Every day I drive by_

_A little white church, it's got these_

_Little white crosses_

_Like angels in the yard_

_Maybe I should stop on in_

_Say a prayer _

_Maybe talk to God like_

_He is there_

_Oh, I know He's there_

_Yeah, I know He's there_

_Well Hello World_

"I heard God's voice in there." Paul said, somewhat shocked but immensely relieved as he stepped outside the church. He'd never had a conversation with God. It was a wonderful feeling. Like a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders. A weight he had carried for years, never even knowing it was there, never even knowing just how blind he'd been. What he heard confused him, though. In the midst of his ecstasy, something nabbed at him. The voice had said, loud and clear, "Day's first light will find you when you need her most, in the middle of the night." What could that mean? Day's first light doesn't come in the middle of the night! He stood, looking at the sky, deep in thought, when he heard a sound. It was soft at first, but it became louder and louder, until it pulsed through him and echoed in his soul. It was a sound he knew, a sound that sent many memories flooding back. The sound that comes to life when one plays such a wonderful instrument as the piano. It was beautiful and sweet and clear. And a voice was singing too. Singing angelically. Something happened to Paul at that very moment he heard the music playing, the voice singing, and felt the magic of Christmas Eve. It cast nothing short of a spell on him. In his very soul, a flame kindled that had not been lit for a long time. In somewhat of a trance, Paul began to follow the music.

Dawn hadn't expected to play _O Holy Night, _much less sing it. It was her dad's favorite, though, maybe it went with the piano being the instrument he taught her. Here came the words; the gentle piano notes.

_O Holy Night_

_The stars are brightly shining_

_It is the night of the dear Savior's birth_

_Long lay the world _

_In sin and error pining_

_Till he appeared and the soul felt it's worth_

Ah, Paul had found the music's source. Before he could stop himself, he was opening the door to the large house on Twinleaf Avenue and spotted the piano and the maker of its music. Was that…Dawn? The answer to what God had said to him? Not day's first light itself, but DAWN. The girl who had believed in him when nobody else did. In the middle of the night. It was all coming together, though this was getting strange, in Paul's opinion. He thought about leaving, but the beautiful sight of her, in a striking white dress, pouring her heart out into her piano and the powerful Christmas carol was too much. He leaned against the doorway to listen to her singing and the piano's tender notes.

Dawn broke from her trance briefly and opened her eyes. Out of the corner of one of them she saw someone standing there. Shocked, she focused on the figure in the doorway, identifying it. "Paul! I-I didn't know you were here…oh my gosh, what am I doing?" Paul shook his head. "Don't pay any attention to me. Just keep playing." "Oh-okay." Dawn said nervously. She began to sing again, at first a little quieter, because of Paul's presence, but, very soon, although she did not forget him being there in the doorway, did forget her shyness, and was soon singing with all her heart once more.

_The fear of Hope_

_The weary world rejoices_

_For yonder breaks_

Here Dawn felt Paul move silently to the bench and seat himself quietly next to her. He began to play as well, his hands on the low keys and hers on the higher, and combination was breathtaking. Dawn didn't stop singing, though she felt this act should've caused her to. Paul next to her gave her a strange feeling of confidence and happiness.

Paul did not know what moved him to begin playing with Dawn, perhaps he was still under the Yuletide spell. He forgot how awkward it may seem, and soon was matching her notes with his as she sang,

_A new and glorious morn_

_Fall on your knees_

_O hear, the angel voices_

_O night divine_

_O night_

_When Christ was born_

_Oh, oh oh night_

_Divine_

_Oh night_

_Oh night divine._

Dawn was awestruck. She managed to stammer, "P-Paul…I didn't know you…played." Paul answered quietly, "Yes, my mom taught me right before she…" His voice trailed off. Dawn suddenly felt a sensation of deep understanding of Paul. Her voice barely above a whisper, said, "My dad taught me right before he went, too. I guess that's something you and I can relate to, right?" Paul gave her a questioning look. "I mean, we both lost a parent who played piano and taught us to, right?" He nodded, then straightened up. "So…you like piano duets?" "Yes." "You sing good," Dawn blushed at this compliment before Paul went on, "Do you like singing duets too? I'm not usually much of a singer, but hey, it Christmas, right?" Dawn smiled. "Yeah, it is Christmas ain't it? I've never really tried a singing duet, but, heck, I'll give it a shot, it's Christmas, right?" Dawn said as her innocent smile turned into a mischievous grin. A small smile began to form on Paul's lips. "Do you know a song you'd like to do?" "Not really…let me think…"

They both had one in mind, but weren't really sure if it was fitting. After five minutes of indecisiveness, Dawn mumbled, "How about 'Hello World'?" Paul agreed, and they began to sing the slow, yet powerful Lady Antebellum song.

As he sang with Dawn, Paul felt a feeling of completeness; this girl made him feel like he belonged, something he hadn't ever really felt. How could he tell her that, though? I mean, that a pretty weird thing to just tell someone. He never really did have a way with words. Little did he know Dawn felt the same way, and the song would express his feelings for him in the perfect way.

_All the empty disappears_

_I remember why I'm here_

_Just surrender and believe_

_I fall down on my knees_

_Well, Hello World_

_Hello World_

_Hello World._

Dawn grinned. Paul smiled. No, not a smirk, mind, but a real, honest-to-goodness smile. They played piano all night, and playing led to long talks, ending with the conclusion that they should stick together.

"Forever?" Dawn asked, head sleepily on his shoulder,

"Yeah," Paul replied, taking a moment to smile down on the girl he was beginning to think he loved. "Forever."

~FIN~

Epilogue

Yes, that black baby grand piano did decide Dawn's whole future, and Paul's too, for that matter. It kept them together in the toughest of times; as the years went by, through the good times and the bad, you can bet Dawn Berlitz and Paul Shinji were playing that very piano. Banging on it in the bad times, lightly plinking in the good, slowly striking in the sad. Yep, that simple gift from her father held out until the very day it's job was finished. The day Dawn took Paul's name as her own. The day of peace and serenity, Christmas Eve, ten long eves of the holiest night of the year after that glorious day of them, really and truly, following their hearts. The day Dawn Berlitz became Dawn Berlitz Shinji. And what would their wedding song be except the song that brought them together, Hello World. Yes, truly that fateful evening was like both young people coming out of the shadows, into the light, seeing this grand earth as it really is. Truly, on that day, Dawn Berlitz and Paul Shinji said hello to this wonderful world of surprises, of happiness, of trial, and, most importantly, of love.

* * *

How did y'all like it? I know it's not amazing...but...I'm proud of it :) I mean, i obsessed over this for 3 months! Hey, to all who know me as Latias9898 at the Serebii Ikarishipping General Discussion...this is my long-awaited contribution to the thread!

more to come,

Latias


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